The Remains of the Goblin
by Yukka Sam
Summary: Arthur arrested Merlin. Merlin was sentenced to death. Merlin escaped. Everything was fine again. Except it wasn t. During "Goblin s Gold".
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: Hey there! Well, the idea of this fic came to me after watching Merlin´s S3 episode Goblin's Gold. Was I the only one wondering what happened to the Arthur who warned Merlin so that he wouldn't get arrested in 2X06? Of course, I know that time he was only accused of stealing, and this time it was of sorcery. I understand why Arthur had to do what he did (he couldn't elude arresting Merlin, he found him with the guards), and it broke my heart when he couldn´t look at Merlin as he was being arrested, and his expressions during the accusation. So my crazy fan mind had to make up an explanation for why didn't Arthur defend Merlin, but he did try to uncover Gaius. Here´s the result. Enjoy! :)

**Rating**: K+

**Disclaimer**: I don´t own Merlin. That´s the reason why Arthur hasn´t got a clue on Merlin´s magic. Sigh.

Genre: Merlin/Arthur Bromance. Because I just love to use that word. Don´t you?:D

**Chapter 1**

"Arrest him".

And with those two words, Merlin felt how his only hope faded in a second.

•••

The warlock rested his head against the cold metal bars, still unable to believe what had just happened.

Arthur had _arrested_ Merlin.

_Arthur_ had arrested Merlin.

Arthur had arrested _Merlin_.

"_Arrest him"._

Merlin had wondered many times about how would Arthur discover about his magic. Maybe he would be obliged to expose himself one of the hundred times a week he had to save the prince. Maybe somebody would see him saying a spell and would report him to the King.

Or maybe, just maybe, one day Merlin would gather enough courage to confess his secret to the man he considered his best friend. Now, well, now he didn´t have to worry about that anymore.

Yes, Merlin had thought a lot of times about the circumstances of the reveal, so many times it scared him. But if there was something that had always scared him more, was Arthur´s reaction to that revelation.

So what was he to do now?

•••

"Arthur, what are you doing?"

Arthur just averted the prisoner´s gaze.

•••

It couldn´t be.

Merlin couldn´t have caused all that trouble in the court. Merlin couldn't have a spell book. Merlin couldn't be a sorcerer. Merlin couldn´t have betrayed him.

Merlin couldn't have been sentenced to death, just before Arthur´s eyes.

Except he had, and now Arthur was desperately trying to find a way to make everything be as it was.

It would have been way easier if he didn't have Merlin´s eyes stuck in his mind, the same eyes that had looked at him hurt and confused when he had just walked to him with the guards, avoiding to look at his servant´s face, because he wasn´t sure he could do this if he did.

But still, Arthur´s eyes had glued themselves to Merlin, when he was taken to the Court Room, when he was exposed by Gaius, when the King ordered his death. When he didn't do anything to help him.

He had seen also Gwen´s horrified face and Morgana´s…satisfied smirk? He had seen Gaius' almost happy expression, and he had begun to suspect. Maybe Merlin had been falsely accused, maybe what he said was true, and it wasn´t just Arthur´s heart that wanted it to be.

But then the prince had seen the furious look on his father´s face, and understood that, if he defended Merlin now, the boy was lost. He had seen it before. When Uther Pendragon made a decision, very few things could change his mind.

Arthur had always been one of those things. But if he started protecting Merlin now, it wouldn´t be like any of the other times he had tried to make his father see reason. He knew he wouldn´t be able to just drop it, to resign himself and apologize to the King, to stand proudly at the balcony while the only best friend he had even known was burned to the stake.

Yes, that´s how it would end. Arthur wouldn´t be able to convince his father, even if he begged him for mercy. That could even mean a worse punishment for Merlin. He was sure his father had never accepted that a noble and a peasant could be more than master and servant, and he wasn´t going to now.

So, what was left for Arthur to try?

•••

Merlin had been in the cells for about two hours, and he still didn´t know what was he waiting for. Or he did, but he refused to admit he hoped Arthur would come to see him.

He hadn´t, and Merlin didn´t allow himself to feel hurt, or disappointed. To Arthur, he was now a sorcerer, a prisoner, and worse, a treacherous friend. It was ludicrous to think the prince would even condescend to see him one last time. What a loss of time, having been waiting that long because he didn´t want to acknowledge he had lost Arthur and there was no getting him back.

But he wasn´t going to leave Gaius alone. As long as the goblin was inside him, his mentor would be in danger, and Merlin wasn´t going to let that happen.

He would escape and figure out a way to hep Gaius. And then, if Arthur wanted to execute him, he could go on. It would save him the shame of looking him in the eye again.

So he got up and waited quietly for just a second, one more second...

When nothing happened, he started to say the words for the spell to get the keys.

•••

Arthur had a plan. More or less of a plan. Okay, so he had no plan. But he had to try.

So when Gaius entered his room, he forced a smile and concentrated on getting proof to free Merlin.

"When we catch him, you´ll see him hang", and no one would ever know how hard it was to pronounce those words.

"I shall look forward to that" and then Arthur knew the truth. Now he could expose the goblin, he could prove Merlin´s innocence, he could save his friend.

Too bad he was knocked out that same instant, so he wasn´t able to help Merlin then. Oh, and nor was he later, for he was braying.

―――――――――――――

Okay, so this was the first part. It´s going to be two-chapters long, this one taking place during the events of the chapter, and the next, what I imagined could have happened after everything with the goblin was worked out. Because really, I think these two needed to have a talk.

See you in the next! I´ll post it soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: So here´s the second and last part! I hope I got it right...

**Disclaimer**: Oooh, do I have to? Meh, fine. I do not own Merlin. I don´t think I even own something, now that I realize...

**Chapter 2**

Gaius felt relieved beyond reason for being alone in his own body again. The essence of the goblin had possessed him, but he was still in there, having to watch everything that had taken place. There were things he would have loved not to remember, like his ward being accused of sorcery. Of course, the wise man would never admit how funny it was to palm Uther´s bald head and get out with it, he had to set a good example for Merlin...

"Gaius?" when the Court Physician saw the young prince of Camelot standing hesitantly in his door frame, he got up, surprised. "My father sent me" and Gaius got a feeling he was lying, but, why would he?, "he wishes to ensure that you are felling well after what happened."

The old man answered with a brief nod, and waited for the boy to go on. Just that second, Merlin came out of his room and stood there frozen, watching Arthur with an indecipherable expression. Master and servant stared at each other for a moment before Arthur´s next words.

"And he wants you to know that…you mustn't worry, for there´ll be no accusation of sorcery or treason. He is most certain of your loyalty and friendship, he holds no grudge against you…and he hopes you don´t either" the last part was almost whispered, but Gaius was sure the prince was no longer speaking to him, but to the boy standing in front of him, who hadn't said a word yet.

"Also…come, Merlin. I am in need of your services." Merlin´s mentor watched them silently as they both exited the quarters, and he shook his head, a bit puzzled. Since when did the prince request (and not order) Merlin´s services without as much of a shout? Surely, they had a lot of things to talk about.

•••

The silence in Arthur´s chambers was only broken by the sound of his fingers tapping, and it was starting to get uncomfortable or at least that´s what it seemed like to the prince. However, Merlin, who was busy cleaning the floor, didn´t look the very least bothered by the unusual quiet between them. For once, the boy was doing his chores properly. But for once, Arthur didn´t like it.

"So how long are you planning to ignore me?" he tried, hoping to find some kind of rude but humorous answer that was Merlin´s mark. But he got something very different.

"I´m not ignoring you, Sire. That would be inappropriate coming from a servant" and if that wasn´t surprising enough: "I am merely doing the chores you ordered, in fact I´ve already finished, Sire. Do you want me to do anything else?"

Arthur just stared at him, standing there speechless.

"Well", Merlin said, taking his silence as a cue to leave, started moving towards the door, "Sire, if you need me for something, just call".

Luckily Arthur was fast enough to reach the door the moment Merlin opened it. The prince put his hand against it, blocking the other boy´s way. He didn´t seem to care, as he just looked back at him with a neutral expression.

"What´s the matter with you?" Arthur was getting angry now "Would you listen to what I have to say? Stop behaving like a…like…!"

"Like a servant, Sire?"

"Yes. No! I don´t know. Just stop, why…why are you acting this way?"

"I´m just acting like I´m supposed to. You´re a prince, you behave like one. I´m a servant, I behave like one. It´s the only logical relationship we can have, Sire".

Oh, that was it. Arthur had never been very patient, and this time Merlin was driving him to his limit.

"Enough!" and if Merlin was any other servant, he would have fled the room terrified, but this was Merlin, and he didn't even budge. "All right then. If you want to play master and servant, you stay here and clean my armour. You´re not leaving until I can see my reflection on it".

What annoyed Arthur further (if that was even possible), was that Merlin simply started doing as he ordered, with no words and that same indifferent expression.

Arthur, feeling his anger vanish, sat tiredly in his armchair. Silence filled the chambers once again, but the prince had already decided none of them was going to leave that room until they sorted things out.

Merlin seemed to realize what his stubborn expression meant, after all, he hadn´t been Arthur's servant for two years all for nothing. As if the boy didn´t know about the prince´s mood.

"What do you want me to say?" and hearing Merlin´s voice Arthur knew he hadn't been willing to listen when his servant wanted to talk, and now that it was the other way around, it hurt. He couldn´t blame him.

Of course, that didn´t mean he was going to give up. If Merlin wasn't going to talk, then Arthur would.

"All right then" he sighed, resigning himself to carry on with the conversation, "I should have listened to you, okay? I should have known you were telling the truth, but for some reason you seem to have a knack at sensing danger where no one else does, so I didn´t believe you, and..." Arthur paused "...what I´m trying to say is...I should have trusted you."

Merlin was still silent, and so Arthur insisted:

"I promise I will believe you next time, Merlin. I know you and..."

"Stop" the prince, suddenly interrupted, looked surprised to see Merlin´s pained expression. "Just...don´t say that, Arthur. You don´t understand, I´m not...I´m not the way you think I am. I´m not honest. I lie. I lie to you _every_ _single_ _day_. I don´t have the right to be mad at you for not believing me". The boy fixed his gaze on the table, filled with guilt.

"That´s not..."

"_Listen_. Listen to me just for once, damn it! You did well not believing me. I might tell you the truth when I try to protect you, but...no, you shouldn´t believe me. Don´t believe in me, Arthur".

There was the slightest moment of silence.

"I can´t".

Merlin turned to look at the prince. "What do you mean?"

"I can´t. I can´t not believe you".

"Please, don't start that again. There are a lot of things you don´t know, I kept them from you, I have a new secret each day passing..."

"I know, Merlin" and after seeing the boy´s disconcerted face, he added "We all have secrets."

"You don´t understand, you prat! My secrets are...worse. I hate myself for not telling you. You´ll hate me for not telling you!"

"No, that´s not true" Arthur took a deep breath. "Before this...I would have said you could tell me anything, and I would understand... But today I proved to you, and also to myself, that I´m not worthy of your trust. Instead, you proved you were telling the truth, again. Merlin, I thought...I didn´t want to believe it, but it was Gaius...and the book of spells, and then that ridiculous story about the goblin...but it doesn't matter. I have no excuse".

"...You´re not serious, are you?" Merlin couldn´t believe what he was hearing. "You´re not the one who isn't trustworthy here! You don't have to apologize, Arthur! I should have told you my secret from the beginning and maybe then everything would´ve been easier." Merlin took a look at Arthur. And he made a decision. "Don´t ever think I don´t trust you. If I have to prove it, then I will. I will tell you now". Merlin breathed in "Arthur. I´m..."

"No".

The two locked eyes, ones surprised, others serious.

"Don´t, Merlin. I hope you understand why".

"B-But I thought you wanted me to...Arthur, I want to..."

"No. Now _you_ listen. Whatever your secret is, I´m not ready. Neither of us is ready. You know it as well as I do. We both proved it today, and we both feel ashamed of it."

Merlin waited pretending to be calm, but he was trembling inside. Had Arthur decided it was better for them to just...part ways? But the prince continued:

"But I hope we both are willing to give it another chance. And another one, and every chance our friendship might need. And one day we´ll be ready " Arthur looked at his friend, "and you will know you can tell me anything. Not too long ago I gave you some time. Now I´m asking you to do the same with me."

"You don´t need to ask" and with that and Merlin´s once again luminous grin, Arthur felt relieved.

This time there was a long, but comfortable silence.

"Seems we both have been such clotpoles" the word had Merlin smiling (and Arthur too, even if he´d never admit it). "And Merlin..."

"Yeah?"

"I´m sorry."

Now that got the other boy´s attention. As it should, Arthur Pendragon hadn´t apologized to someone since...well, ever.

"What?"

"I said I´m...sorry"

"I didn´t quite catch that. Could you say it one more time?"

"Merlin?"

"Yes, Arthur?"

"Don´t push your luck".

"Sorry, Sire. I think I´d better be going now".

"You do that. And one more thing" Arthur leaned to look him in the eye with that murderous expression Merlin knew all too well "You will personally make sure that my... incident is kept in secret. And if I find out somebody spread the word to the castle, the punishment will be very slow and painful".

"Sire, what do you take me for? But of course, I can´t be responsible about what Gwen may say...after all she seemed to be having fun with your...ears..."

"Merlin, I´m warning you..."

"And your braying..."

And so, Merlin had to straighten up Arthur´s room again, because after the prince was done throwing things at him, it looked as if it was hit by a hurricane.

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Thank you for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it. And if you tell me about my mistakes in English, I´ll be grateful. Review please?


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